Laundry tub cover



Feb. 18, 1958 B. E. MUSTEE 2,823,823

LAUNDRY TUB COVER Filed Dec. 17, 1953 IN VEN TOR. BERNARD E. MUS TEEUnited States Patent LAUNDRY TUB COVER Bernard E. Mustee, Cleveland,Ohio, assignor to E. L. Mustee & Sons, Inc., a corporation of OhioApplication December 17, 1953, Serial No. 398,830

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-24) This invention relates in general to laundryequipment, and relates more specifically to an improved work top lid fora laundry tub unit.

There has been considerable effort in recent years to improve theappearance and usefulness of laundry tubs. However, the tubs haveremained open, or if a cover is provided, it is encumbered with liftinghandles, hinges, and similar accessories which increase the costthereof, and decrease its usefulness as a work top.

Further, many automatic washing machines have a suds saving featurerequiring the extension of a hose into the tub. Further, a waste waterhose from any washer must be led to a sewer opening, and the laundry tubis the most convenient and most used receptacle to receive the Wastewater. This water then runs out the sewer provided for the tub.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an improved laundrytub lid cover which is unencumbered by handles or other associatedaccessories, in order to provide a clear work top area.

Another object of this invention is to provide such cover with portionshaving the dual function of hand grips for removing the cover, andaccess openings into the tub.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claim, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a top view of the improved cover device of this inventioninstalled upon a single unit laundry tub of modern design;

Figure 2 is a side view of the upper portion of the laundry tub, withthe cover of this invention thereon;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section, taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged section, taken along line 44 of Figure 1.

The present invention is illustrated in connection with a laundry tubunit 10.

The improved cover device of this invention is indicated by thereference character 11.

As illustrated best in the Figures 3 and 4, the tub unit has an upperrim 12 defining the top opening of the tub. Cover 11 has an edge 14encased in a rubber gasket 15.

The laundry tub unit 10, illustrated in the drawing, has a rectangularrim 12. The rectangular shape is the most usual in laundry tub units ofthis nature. The cover 11 has a form which is substantiallycomplementary to the rectangular form of the rim 12, with the exceptionof one or more recessed portions, which are embodied in the two bridgeedge portions 17 and 18 in the illustrated embodiment of the invention.These recessed bridge edge portions 17 and 18 expose respective cornersof the tub and provide the dual function of an opening into the tub anda convenient hand grip for removing or installing the cover 11 upon thetub 10.

As heretofore stated, the drawing illustrates the pre- 2,823,823Patented Feb. 18, 1958 ferred embodiment of the invention. Any edgerecessed away from the form of the rim 12 will provide an opening intothe tub into which the hose of an automatic washer may be inserted, andby which the cover may be grasped.

Although one such recess would suffice both for access to the tub andfor gripping the cover, the illustrated embodiment provides twooppositely disposed recesses in the cover 11, by the provision of thebridge edge portions 17 and 18, whereby the automatic washer may beplaced on either side of the tub unit 10. Thus, special right and lefthand lids are unnecessary and a hand grip is provided for either left orright handed persons.

Furthermore, many persons prefer to use both hands for removing the lid,even though it is very light and can be readily lifted by a child.

The cover provided by this invention does not require hinges or counterbalance devices, and has no handles or other protrusions extending aboutthe top surface to interfere with the free use of the top surface as awork table top even while the tub within the unit 10 is being employedas a storage space for water from the type of automatic washing machinehaving a hot water and suds conserving feature, or as a waste waterbasin.

The cabinet illustrated in the drawing and the cover therefor is knownas a single tub unit. Normally laundry tubs are considered in terms oftwo separate tubs with a dividing partition between. However, aremovable extension member in the drain of the illustrated tub unit, asset forth in copending application Serial #287,93 3, now abandoned,entitled: Laundry Tub Drain Extension Member, provides a means wherebyone tub unit can serve most of the purposes normally requiring twounits.

Many modern automatic washing machines have a feature which permits thetemporary storage of the hot, soapy water for re-use. Such storagerequires a storage device such as the laundry unit shown in the drawing.However, it is usually not desirable to provide a separate waste drainfor the laundry tube and one for the Washing machine, and consequentlyit is normal practice to employ the drain serving the laundry tub byrunning the waste hose of the machine into one laundry tub. Thus, with adouble laundry tub as usually provided, the

' storage hose from the washing machine extends to one of the tubs andthe hose for waste water extends to the other. The stopper is then usedin the storage tub but removed from the tub serving as a waste waterbasin. Normally, therefore, the bulky and unsightly two-unit laundry tubis necessary. However, with the drain extension member of theapplication referred to above, the waste hose from the machine can beinserted into the extension member and the storage water can fill thetub around the extension member. One single unit then replaces the bulkydouble tubs for most purposes. The extension member is essentially apipe with a fluid seal inter-connection with the outlet at the bottom ofthe tub. With the cover of the present invention, a hole 20 is providedin the cover substantially of the location of the drain at the bottom ofthe tub, and consequently the laundry tub of this invention may beemployed with the improved new lid remaining in place. The hose from thewasher servicing the storage water is inserted through the handle griparea at the corner of the tub, whereas the hose for the waste water isinserted through the hole 20 into the drain extension member. Thereby,the waste water passes through the extension member and out the drainprovided for the laundry tub unit.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with acertain degree of particularity it is understood that the presentdisclosure of the preferred 3 form has been made only by way of exampleand that numerous changes in the details of construction and thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

What is claimed is:

In a laundry tub device having a tub portion with a rim defining arectangular upper peripheral edge, the provision of a cover memberadapted to provide an unencumbered work top surface for said tub andpermit hose access from an automatic washer, comprising, a cover sheetfitting within the outline of said rim and having a first edgesubstantially complementary to said rim along one end, a second edgefitting less than the length of the rim opposite said one end, a thirdedge fitting less than the length of one side of the rim, a fourth edgefitting less than the length of the opposite side of the rim, a firstbridge edge between said second and third edges to expose a first cornerof said rim and provide a first opening into said tub, a second bridgeedge References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS259,740 Ams June 20, 1882 766,592 Cheney Aug. 2, 1904 799,112 ThomasSept. 12, 1905 1,535,928 Loudon Apr. 28, 1925 1,613,286 Odquist Jan. 4,192

